Nosebleeds are a common non-physiological cause of bleeding. The majority of nosebleeds in humans occur as a result of hypertension, long-term infection, leukemia, vitamin K deficiency, blows to the nose, sneezing, nasal drug abuse, allergic rhinitis, use of blood thinners or children picking their noses with sharp fingernails. Nosebleeds often occur without warning and can be extremely dangerous if not controlled promptly and properly. Excessive loss of blood may result in unconsciousness and death. Children and the elderly are particularly susceptible to serious, acute nosebleeds.
To the best of applicant's knowledge, the most pertinent of all the prior art methods for control of nosebleeds is disclosed in “Nosebleeds in Pediatrics”, which is a chapter written by Carol Berkowitz in a book entitled Primary Care Approach (published 2000) by Stanley H. Inkelis, M.D. This reference discloses that children who are actively bleeding through the nose should be positioned sitting upright while leaning forward slightly and that direct pressure should be applied and that a cotton dental roll may be placed under the upper lip to compress the labial artery in older children for whom concern about displacement and possible aspiration of the cotton is minimal.
General background information relevant to attempts to control nosebleeds can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,899,918; 3,884,241; 4,457,756; 4,646,739; 5,383,891; 5,584,822; 5,584,827; 5,391,179; and 5,011,474. These patents describe devices and methods for controlling nosebleeds that involve pinching the nose with external or internal clips, packing the nasal cavity with absorbent tampons, or using special hemostatic devices that require skilled medical training. However, these devices and methods suffer from numerous disadvantages.
More specifically, the described methods of pinching the nose seek to control nosebleeds by applying pressure to an area of the septum known as Kiesselbach's plexus (also called Little's area). However, pinching the nose is not only uncomfortable but also is difficult for small children to administer to themselves.
Likewise, the described tampons for packing the nasal cavity seek to control nosebleeds by applying pressure to Kiesselbach's plexus, and such tampons are both uncomfortable and difficult to administer. Moreover, the tampons can damage the nasal passageway due to necrosis from undue pressure or overpacking. Also, prolapse of the tampon into the pharynx is a dangerous risk. Hence, use of nasal tampons in small children and the elderly must be continually monitored. Additionally, the tampon may dry out and stick to the delicate nasal mucosa, making removal of the packing painful and presenting a risk of the bleeding recurring.
Furthermore, both pinching the nose with the fingers or other device and packing the nose with a tampon interfere with normal nasal breathing. Consequently, the patient must breath through the mouth, which may result in uncomfortable drying of the mouth, throat irritation, and middle-ear complications.
With regard to the number of sophisticated hemostatic devices to control nosebleeds on the market, such sophisticated devices are not only time-consuming to administer but also require the skills of a physician or other trained medical personnel in a medical treatment facility, such as a hospital. Thus, these devices are unsuitable for the prompt treatment of the vast majority of nosebleeds that happen in the home, office, or school. Nevertheless, home remedies, such as tilting the head, applying cold compresses to the nose or manually compressing the nose, typically are ineffective in stopping nosebleeds promptly.
Hence, a long felt need still exists for a readily available device and method for treating nosebleeds that can be effectively used by untrained laypersons away from medical treatment facilities.